As everyone knows, former President Obama is a big-time basketball fan who went on to convert the property’s tennis court into a basketball court during his time in the White House.
But, in the inaugural episode of the Ways to Win podcast with John Calipari and Craig Robinson, former President Obama revealed that he has not shot any hoops himself for almost a decade.
He said, “I have hung ’em up, I played all the way through the presidency. The last time I played was November of 2016, so just two months before I left office.“
The 62-year-old mega-basketball fan stated he no longer plays the sport, stating his concern for Achilles. However, he reminisced about his last match at the White House, saying, “Man, I played great that day. I was raining down threes, and had this spin move, finger roll for the win. I was just firing on all cylinders…”
“At the end of that, I said this is the devil talking, and the next time I play … my Achilles [tendon] is gonna pop, and I’m gonna be in a boot for six months. I’m stopping right now. And I have not played since,” Obama further added.
So, it seems his old age, although he doesn’t look like it, is preventing him from playing basketball. Obama pointed out, “I’ve had at least 10 friends who’ve popped their Achilles since that time, trying to be those weekend warriors.“
“I’ll play y’all some HORSE but we’re not we’re not running up and down that court,” he added.
Former President Obama’s passion for basketball dates back to his high school days!
Back in the late 70s’, Barack Obama played basketball for his Punahou High School varsity team and bagged the Hawaii State Championship in his senior year.
According to an NBC story, Obama’s former teammate Mark Bendix commented about his game and said, “I loved his game, he had a pretty good shot and really handled the ball well.“
After high school, Obama went to Occidental College, where he played for Occidental’s junior varsity team. His former coach, Mike Zinn, says, “He was really athletic, ran good, jumped good. He wasn’t a great outside shooter. In basketball terminology, he was kind of a slasher.“
Even after he became the president, he never let go of his passion and love for basketball as he adapted the tennis court into a basketball court and played every now and then.
During his time in the Oval Office, he invited NBA players like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Magic Johnson, and Stephen Curry to play at the White Hoops.
Although Obama no longer plays basketball as it risks injuries due to his old age, his love for the game remains the same.
Just recently, on the occasion of the release of a new Netflix docuseries, Starting 5, he uploaded a video in which he revealed his favorite starting five: Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Kevin Durant.
One fan commented, “Barack knows ball,” complimenting Obama’s knowledge about the game. Meanwhile, another wrote, “This is a quality line up.“
In case you didn’t know
- The first African American President, Barack Obama, was born on August 4, 1961, to his parents, Stanley Ann Dunham and Barack Obama Sr.
- He became the 44th US President after winning the 2008 Presidential election against Republican party John McCain.
- According to various sources, former President Obama has an estimated net worth of $70 million.
